Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

I join with my colleague, Senator Norris, in raising the issue on the ongoing carnage in Syria. I raised the matter on the Order of Business some weeks ago when innocent children were killed by the Syrian regime. Two distinguished journalists, a French photojournalist and a print journalist, have now been killed and there is a suggestion that the regime is targeting journalists who operate on the front line. Sometimes, their work is considerably undervalued, but we would not know what was happening without them. The city of Homs is being pummelled into dust and innocents are being killed wholesale, yet the world seems to be standing by and doing nothing about it.

Will the Leader ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, who is chairman of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE, and has made it his priority to raise human rights issues in that capacity, to state Ireland's position unequivocally and clearly, that being, we are opposed to the killing of innocent civilians and the Syrian regime should stop and enter into mediation talks? The regime should also allow humanitarian agencies into the country, including the Red Cross and the Red Crescent. Humanitarian agencies are more than willing to help unfortunate civilians in Syria's various cities.

The situation is yet another example of the international community turning aside. Two of the major powers have already thwarted the UN's efforts to resolve the situation. As we speak, a human rights disaster of unprecedented proportions is under way. No Senator would agree that it should be tolerated by any civilised society.